First kite test with new foils. Sensor stiffeners worked nicely. We used the quadcopter to film the kite launch and beginning of the test. Joe’s dad, Jim Brock, joined us on this test.
We are now recording the foil actuator positions during tests. Looking at tow and kiting test data from last Thursday, we’ve plotted the relationship between the T-foil setting and the boat speed. The T-foil is controlled by the helmsman and is used in conjunction with the J-foils to control the pitch and ride height of the kiteboat. A relatively simple relationship between the two (as we see here) suggests that we may be able to automate the boat’s pitch stabilization, which would free the crew to concentrate on other tasks.
We took the new pre-preg J-foils out for the first time today. We towed around the protected area by the big ships to make sure everything was working correctly, and it was–with no adjustments! We then went outside the breakwater to sail with the 40 sqm kite. Great upwind performance and ability to pop back up after a jibe. Bruce Sutphen joined us on this test.
1. The foil cassette panel, which supports the point-loading of the lower rollers using a core, which is a combination of airex foam and 1.5mm thick webs of carbon spaced 12mm apart.
2. Sea anchor deploy tunnel, which connects to and also drains the dry well storage area.
3. Secondary filleting and taping of the inboard ama hull halves.
